Rotary pressure-engine.



No. 642,225. Patented Ian. 30, I900.

S. A. E. HICKSDN.

ROTARY PRESSURE ENGINE.

' (Application filed Oct. '9', 1699.) (No Model.)

m m g N0. 542,225. Patented Jan. 30, I900. S. A. E. HICKSON.

ROTARY PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.)

4 Shaets-Sheet 2.

Q NsK (No Model.)

m. 642,225. Patented Ian. 30, 1900.

V S. A. E. HICKSON.

ROTARY PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetsShe0t 3.

No. 642,225. Patented Jan. 30, I900.

S. A. E. HICKSON.

ROTARY PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed on. 9, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

more.

PATENT SAMUEL A. E. I-IICKSON, OF FULFORD, ENGLAND.

ROTARY PRESSURE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,225, dated January 30, 1960.

Application filed October 9, 1899. Serial No. 733,097. (No model.)

To all witmn it may concern:

Be it known that I,- SAMUEL ARTHUR EINEM HICKSON, a subject of the Queen of England, residing at Ash Villa, Fulford, in the county of York, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Rotary Pressure-Engin e, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 25,092, dated November 2S, 1898, and No. 19,341, dated September 26, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved rotary engine or motor which may be driven by fluid-pressure, such as steam.

In carrying out this invention the cylinder of the engine comprises an annular chamber which may be formed within a casting, one side of the casting being open. This open side of the casting is closed by a disk, hereinafter called the crank-disk,carried fast upon the engine-shaft, which passes through the casting within which the annular chamber is formed and is arranged concentric with the said chamber. The disk is provided with a crank-pin or piston, which is made to accurately fit the chamber or cylinder, so that it may travel freely in the same, carrying with it the crank-disk, to which it is attached. The crank-pin or piston is propelled by admitting steam, for instance, on one side of it, while all pressure is removed from the opposite side. To effect this, one or more reciprocating partitions are provided and arranged in such a manner that as they reciprocate they divide the cylinder behind the piston. Steam is admitted between any one such partition when in position across the cylinder and the piston, so that the piston is propelled forward in the chamber, an exhaust being opened on that side of the partition toward which the piston is traveling. As the piston nears the partition, which now projects across its path, the partition is withdrawn and is again replaced after the piston has passed that point.

To avoid a dead-center, two reciprocating partitions are preferably used, which alternately project across and are withdrawn from the annular chamber or cylinder; also, to obviate end thrust on the crank-disk and its shaft two chambers may be arranged one on either side of the disk. The disk is in this case provided with two pistons, the other parts of the machine being duplicated. Slide-valves may be used to regulate the admission of steam to the annular chamber or cylinder and also to exhaust, or the partitions may them selves be used as slide-valves for this purpose, and they may be reciprocated either mechanically or by steam or other pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one method of carrying out this invention, more particularly in view of the engine being driven by steam, Figure l is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 on the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 2 on the line 3 3; and

'Fig. 4 is a transverse central section of Fig.

3, viewed as indicated by an arrow.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

The engine framing or casing comprises two castings A, having each an annular chamber B. The chamber B in each case is accurately bored, a core A, which is part of the casting A, being left in its center. The castings A are each provided with lugs A with which they may be bolted together, so that the two chambers 13 form one common chamber,which, however, is divided again into two separate chambers by a crank-disk 0, carried by its shaft 0'. The shaft 0 passes through both of the castings A, being carried in suitable bearings in the same, and projects beyond the outside of each. The crank-disk O carries on either side of it a crank-pin or piston G which is made to exactly fit the chamber 13. In each chamber in a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the shaft 0 are arranged two reciprocating partitions D, one on either side of the shaft, which when in their forward position project across the chamber B and enter recesses D in the core A of the casting A. These partitions D are made to exactly fit the chamber B, so that when one partition is closed the chamber is divided into two steam-tight eompartments,each limited by the partition and the piston or crankpin 0 respectively. The partitions are each provided with an extension D*, those on one side of the shaft being connected together by a cross-head D and those on the other side being similarly connected by a cross-head D The cross-heads are carried in guides D", which may be of any convenient construction and secured in any well-known manner to the castings A; also, the partitions D have tenons on their outer edges, which run in grooves in the faces of the castings A and serve to guide the partitions in their reciprocations across the chamber B. The ends of the crossheads D D are provided with journals D whereby they are connected by connectingrods 1) to double eccentrics D on the engineshaft 0. By this means as the shaft 0 revolves the partitions on one side of the shaft are made to advance, while those on the other simultaneously retire.

Within each casting are formed ports, each of which communicates with one of the chambers B,the ports E being arranged to ad m it live steam to the cylinder or chamber B, while the ports E are connected with the exhaust. The

faces of the partitions D are recessed at D so that when either partition is in the forward position the ports E E are in free communication with the chamber B, the steam and exhaust ports being thus both open, while both are again immediately closed as the partition is withdrawn. Within the core A a balancechamber A is formed around the shaft 0 and communicates with the recesses D, so that the same pressure is maintained upon the ends of the partitions on the right as upon those on the left of the shaft. To prevent steam from the balance-chamber A escaping between the shaft 0 and its hearings in the castings A, stuffing-boxes and glands of any well-known construction may be provided, though none are shown in the drawings.

To regulate the admission of steam to the ports E and to control the exhaust E, they may be brought together at the top and bottom of the engine and inclosed by a steambox F. The steam-box F communicates with a steam-pipe F, and within it is arranged in the usual well-known manner a slide-valve F In the particular construction shown in the drawings the slide-valves it are not regularly reciprocated, but are controlled by any convenient mechanism, such as a worm and worm-wheel device G, whereby they may be either made to open or close the ad missionports relatively to the exhaust-ports, or in case of it being required to reverse the direction of the engine the ports E may be converted into exhaust-ports, while those marked E may be made the admission-ports.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Steam being admitted by the port E, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, it is unable to escape from between the partition on the right of the shaft and the crank-pin or piston 0 both of which are made to be steam tight fittings within the chamber/B, so that the partition being immovable the piston O is propelled forward, expelling any steam which is in the front of it by the exhaust E. On, however,approachin g the partition which projects across its path the eccentric D on the rod D and at the same time advances the partition on the left across the chamber B and into the core A by means of its cross head D The ports on the right of the engine are thus closed, while those on the left are open. mitted behind the piston, while an exhaust is opened on that side toward which the piston is traveling. Therefore the piston continues its motion in the same direction as before. As the partitions on one side of the shaft are connected to the cross-head D and those on the other side to the cross-head D it is obvious that the operations in each chamber B will take place at the same time, so that an equal pressure will be maintained upon either side of the crank-disk 0.

It is found in practice that for the engine to work with-any considerable degree of efficiency it is absolutely necessary to equalize or approximately equalize the steam-pressure on the two ends of each reciprocating partition. To effect this, valves 11 are provided, reciprocated by connecting-rods H, operatively connected to eccentrics H on the shaft 0, the valves sliding within steam-chests H, so that they alternately cover and uncover ports H and H formed in the casting A. The ports H communicate with the spaces at the rear of the partitions D, the ports H being in communication with the exhaust. Each valve is inclosed in the usual steam chest H to which steam is admitted by a pipe H The eccentrics H upon the shaft C are so arranged in relation to the eccentrics D' on the same shaft that when the partitions D are advancing their respective Valves H occupy such a position that steam is admitted to the rear of the partitions by the ports H such steam being exhaust-ed by the ports H H during the return of the partitions.

To prevent leakage of steam between the wall of the chamber and the outer circumference of the crank-disk O, the latter may be provided with a packing-ring of any wellknown construction; also, for the same purpose the crank-pin C may comprise a central pin fixed to the disk 0 and surrounded by two approximately semicircular portions provided with packing between the two respective parts in any well-known manner. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of an annular cylinder, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed through the core concentric with the cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a member connecting the piston and shaft, oppositely-arranged partitions adapted to be reciprocated across the interior of the cylinder, and, in conjunction with the piston, to alternately divide the interior of the cylinder into two steam-tight chambers, means for simultaneously reciprocating the partitions, means for admitting steam to the cylinder on one side By this means steam is again ad of the piston, means for exhausting on the opposite side of the same, means for regulating the pressure on the ends of the partitions, a valve to regulate the admission of steam to the cylinder and a valve to throttle or reverse the direction of the flow of steam to or from the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of an annular cylinder, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed through the core concentric with the cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a member connecting the piston and shaft, oppositely-arranged partitions adapted to be reciprocated across the interior of the cylinder and, in conjunction with the piston, to alternately divide the interior of the cylinder into two steamtight chambers, means for simultaneously reciprocating the partitions, means for admitting steam to the cylinder on one side of the piston, means for exhausting on the-opposite side of the same, means for regulating the pressure 011 the ends of the partitions, and a valve to regulate the admission of steam to the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. In a rotary engine the combination of an annular cylinder open on one side, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed through the core transversely to the cylinder and concentric with the bore of the same, a disk mounted on the shaft and so situated as to close the open side of the cylinder, a piston carried by the disk, a partition reciprocated across the cylinder, a tenon on one side of the partition and a corresponding groove in the wall of the cylinder, means for reciprocating the partition, a recess in the core to receive the end of the partition when advanced across the cylinder, a balancechamber Within the core communicating with the cylinder and the recess which receives the end of the partition a recess in the upper and lower faces of the reciprocating partition, ports and passages formed in the wall of the cylinder and communicating with these recesses when the partition is advanced, and a valve to throttle or reverse the direction of the flow of steam through the passages in the wall of the cylindeigsubstantially as set forth.

l. In a rotary engine the combination of an annular cylinder open on one side, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed through the core transversely to the cylinder and concentric with the bore of the same, a disk mounted on the shaft and so situated as to close the open side of the cylinder, a piston carried by the disk, a partition reeiprocated across the cylinder, atenon on one side of the partition and a corresponding groove in the wall of the cylinder, means for reciprocating the partition, a recessin the core to receive the end of the partition when advanced across the cylinder, a balancechamber within the core and communicating with the cylinder, and the recess which receives the end of the partition, a recess in the upper and lower faces of the reciprocating partition, ports and passages formed in the wall of the cylinder and communicating with these recesses when the partition is advanced, and a valve to regulate the admission of steam to the cylinder substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine the combination of an annular cylinder open on one side, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed through the core transversely to the cylinder and concentric with the bore of the same, a disk mounted on the shaft and so situated as to close the open side of the cylinder, a piston carried by the disk, a partition reciprocated across the cylinder, atenon on one side of the partition and a corresponding groove in the wall of the cylinder, means for reciprocating the partition a recess in the core to receive the end of the partition when advanced across the cylinder, a balancechamber within the core and communicating with the cylinder and the recess which receives the end of the partition, and a valve to regulate the admission of steam to the cylinder substantially as set forth.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a shaft arranged transversely of the cylinder and concentric with the bore of the same, a piston within the cylinder, a member connecting the piston and shaft, oppositelyarranged partitions adapted to be reciprocated across the interior of the cylinder, and, in conjunction with the piston to alternately divide the interior of the cylinder into two steam-tight chambers, means for simultaneously reciprocating the partitions, means for admitting steam to the cylinder on one side of the piston, means for exhausting on one side of the same, means for regulating the pressure on the ends of the partitions, a valve to control the admission of steam to the cylinder, and means for varying the position of,

the valve to vary the admission of the steam.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder divided into two chambers, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft extending transversely across the chambers, a crank-disk mounted upon the shaft intermediate the chambers, a crankpin secured to each side of the crank-disk and fitting within the chambers and forming pistons, oppositely-arranged partitions for each chamber and adapted to be reciprocated across the interior of each chamber so asin conjunction with the pistons, to divide each of them into two steam-tight compartments, means for reciprocating the partitions, means for admitting steam to each of the chambers on one side of the pistons, means for exhausting on the opposite side of the same, means for regulating the pressure on the ends of the par titions, and valves to regulate the admission of steam to the chambers.

8. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder divided into two chambers, and be ing provided with steam admission and exhaust passages E E, a central core around which the cylinder is formed, a shaft passed opposite ends of the partitions, and valves to regulate the admission of steam to the steamadinission passages of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my [5 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

S. A. E. HIOKSON;

\Vitnesses:

ALFRED MORLEY HAYWARD, A. H. GREENWOOD. 

